The city is nestled on the St. Lucie River where it forks into two tributaries. It's home to a quaint downtown, featuring an old time barber shop, cafes, restaurants, art galleries and the Lyric Theater.

"It’s a beautiful town, absolutely beautiful," said Sonia Finch. "All of these cute little shops and everything, and everybody is so nice."

It is that small-town feeling, plus controlled growth that led Where to Retire magazine to select Stuart as a new top destination for those looking to relocate.

"I think it's great. Yes, absolutely it’s a good place to retire and a good place to live and work and play, and I think retirees around the country will enjoy it," said City Manager Paul Nicoletti.

The magazine editor said the historic downtown, controlled growth and the outdoor pastimes on the water would be a big draw to retirees.

Resident C.T. Woods agreed and pointed out the city's proximity to Orlando, West Palm Beach and other larger cities, but Woods said the city maintains it's own sleepy charm.

"We call it the Forgotten Coast," said Wood. "You don’t get all the tourism here, but you have all the amenities."

The city has been working on making itself appealing not only to retirees, but to millennials, too, said Nicoletti, and people are noticing.

"Finally, they have infrastructure in the downtown, restaurants, and bars -- that type of fun thing," said Franklin Wolfe.

Receiving the designation may have an economic impact.

According to the magazine, each year over 700,000 Americans decide to pick up and retire someplace new, and usually they are better educated and more affluent than the average person.

The magazine will profile Stuart in its September-October issue, available on newsstands Aug. 12.

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